


The Long Road

by wingedcatninja



Series: SPN Quote Bingo 2020 [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Gen Fic, Gender-Neutral Character, OC POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23801581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedcatninja/pseuds/wingedcatninja
Summary: Five years is a long time. Will the Winchesters remember? Are they still alive? It’s a long journey to make for an uncertain outcome.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & OC, Sam Winchester & OC, Winchesters & OC
Series: SPN Quote Bingo 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714834
Kudos: 6





	The Long Road

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [@spnquotebingo](https://spnquotebingo.tumblr.com/). The prompt quote is bolded in the fic. Also for [@simsadventures](https://simsadventures.tumblr.com/) Sim’s 3k Challenge. I used the moodboard as a prompt and a header for the story. 
> 
> Full disclosure, I was inspired by this moodboard immediately and had the story written before I sent the ask to participate in the challenge. I had to take a day to go over it thoroughly though since it’s my first attempt at writing a gender-neutral character. I hope I did it justice.
> 
> I apologize for nothing.

The cold air nipped at exposed skin and made everyone’s breath plume in the air, the silence almost deafening. The small boat thudded softly against the dock and almost instantly there was a flurry of movement as if a frozen tableau had come to life. People tying the boat up, moving boxes, anchoring the gangplank, and all the other things that came with docking after two weeks’ work. The wood swayed under the weight of large men carrying heavy boxes, making the gangplank unsteady footing. 

Shrugging a backpack into place, a tall figure in a heavy hooded parka followed after the working men, setting foot on solid ground for the first time in four days. The relatively noisy dock was overwhelming after so long spent away from populated areas. They made their way to the end of the pier and across a road to where a neon sign boasted of fresh coffee and food. 

The tinkle of the little bell above the door was loud in the almost empty diner. Muted music came from the kitchen, barely covering the sounds of sizzling grease. A gloved hand pushed the hood back and pulled a beanie off at the same time, revealing a head of shoulder-length strawberry blond hair. 

“Hiya honey. Grab a seat anywhere you like, I’ll be right with ya.” The waitress behind the counter greeted her new customer while arranging fresh-baked slices of pie into the display case.

The blond slid into a booth, back to the wall, keeping a wary eye on the rest of the room. There was only one other customer - a man that looked like he had gone ten rounds with a bottle of whiskey and lost. He sat at the counter, staring into his cup of coffee as if it held the secrets of the universe. 

“What can I getcha?” The waitress appeared beside the table, setting down a glass of water and a set of utensils wrapped in a paper napkin.

“Coffee, black, please. And a slice of pie.” The voice was pleasant, but perhaps a little hoarse, as if from disuse.

“Sure thing, honey. We got cherry, apple, and blueberry.” The waitress scribbled then gestured with the pencil toward the display case.

“Cherry, please.”

“Coming right up.”

The waitress was back with a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of pie that was still warm from the oven before the blond could do more than settle into the seat. The gloves came off and long slim fingers wrapped around the cup, soaking up the warmth. Eyes that matched the gray of the sky overhead gazed through the window at the cars going by. The sound of the bell drew those eyes to the door, watching the woman just entering. 

Carefully sipping the hot coffee, the blond listened to the conversation between the waitress and the female customer without really hearing it. The slice of pie was consumed methodically, fuel for the long journey ahead. When the woman left, the waitress came by again, coffee pot in hand.

“Refill, honey?”

“No, thank you. Could I get a couple of cheeseburgers to go though?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Twenty minutes later, the long journey back to Kansas began outside that small diner on the east coast of Canada. 

Walking along the road was faster than going cross country, especially without the right equipment. The danger was about the same - one way had wild animals, the other had highway serial killers. Monsters were there either way. There was always the option of stealing a car, but then there was the hassle with the police catching up. 

The weather improved the farther south the journey went until the road turned more west than south somewhere in Ohio. No more snow, although the rain might be worse. Finally, on a clear day nearly a month later, train tracks shining in the light of the setting sun straight ahead led directly into Lebanon.

Veering off before getting into populated areas, the traveler used back roads and paths to reach the final destination. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a powerplant, or maybe an abandoned factory. The oddest part about it was that no one in town seemed to ever wonder about it, or even notice it much.

Down the few steps to the metal door, bare fist banging against the unyielding surface. The sound would echo in the cavernous interior. Hopefully, someone was still there to hear it.

The door creaked slightly when it opened, a familiar face looking through the crack.

“Jay? Is that you?” 

Strong arms wrapped around the slim form in a bearhug that could crack ribs. A disbelieving chuckle rumbled through the body completely wrapped around Jay. Finally, Sam stepped back, his hands still on Jay’s shoulders.

“Holy hell. We thought you were dead! Where have you been?! Wait, wait, come on in, you have to tell us everything.” Sam dragged Jay inside and almost ran down the stairs shouting for his brother.

Jay leaned against the banister at the bottom of the stairs, still not sure of the welcome. The sight of Dean coming around the corner from the kitchen felt like a punch to the gut. He looked the same and at the same time, he looked so different - like he had been through Hell, again. 

Dean came up the two steps from the hallway and stopped. Sam, noticing the shift in the mood, stepped aside quietly and disappeared back down the hallway. The silence in the room was almost palpable. 

“Hey.” Dean’s voice was the same bass rumble Jay remembered. 

“Hey.” What else was there to say really?

“You ok?” The concern came through in Dean’s tone.

“Yeah. I’m alive so, y’know…” Jay shrugged slightly.

“You came back.” The statement dropped between them like a rock.

**“I tried. I tried to be normal, but I'm just not wired that way.”** Jay looked down at scuffed and muddy boots, uncertain of what Dean’s reaction would be.

Without warning, Dean was there, his hand on Jay’s shoulder squeezing gently. 

“Welcome home.”


End file.
